The Great And The Good: How To Change a Life
by Ognawk
Summary: Prequel story to 'The Great And The Good'. Ashley Winters is a student at Swedesville High School with a kooky sense of humour and a passion for sculpting. However, a sequence of events, both good and bad, lead to some major changes for him and his parents. Cover image is Ashley in Fielding uniform, drawn by BloodyWilliam: -
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **This is the first part of 'How To Change a Life', a prequel fic to 'The Great And The Good'. This focusses on Ashley Winters, detailing some of his life at Swedesville High School, and the events that led to him attending Fielding and becoming friends with Tom Sloane._

_**DISCLAIMER:** Daria and all associated characters are owned by MTV. This is for entertainment purposes only and no money or other goods have been exchanged for this._

* * *

**THE GREAT AND THE GOOD: HOW TO CHANGE A LIFE**  
_**Part 1**_

Ashley Winters was sat in the car, being driven to school by his mother, Rachel. It had been a hectic morning, with his father heading out the door early and Rachel having to give him a lift at the last minute. It had been a quiet ride, until Ashley decided to break the silence.

"Mom, why did Dad have to leave the house so early?" he asked.

Rachel checked her mirrors as she changed lanes. "He got called into an emergency meeting."

Ashley frowned. "Emergency? That sounds promising."

"Well, you know the firm your father works for has been having some financial issues lately. Times are tough, so I expect there's some bad news coming. No doubt he'll be expected to deliver it."

She pulled up outside the school. "Well, take care, honey. Have a nice day."

"I'll try, Mom," Ashley said as he got out of the car.

"Ashley..."

"I'm kidding. I'll be fine. See you later, Mom!"

Ashley waved as his mother pulled away. He checked his clothes, one of his favourite outfits. He had his black sneakers and black cargo pants on, with a black Stone Roses t-shirt and a red and black checked flannel shirt. His long, dark blonde hair was tied back in a pony tale. He adjusted his glasses and looked up at the school gates.

_Just another wonderful day at Swedesville High_, he thought to himself as he walked in. As he made his way to the front doors of the building, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Hi Ashley!"

As he turned around, he came face to face with one of the prettiest sights he'd ever seen, Leanne Stevens. She wore a red, short sleeved shirt and black skirt with flat shoes and white socks. Her long, straight black hair was loose and her bright green eyes attracted his attention. She was a rarity in the school in that she was both intelligent _and_ popular. She could pretty much have any boy in school she wanted.

_Say something you idiot_, he thought to himself, before uttering a quiet "Hey Leanne!"

"Hey, you know we're going on that trip to the art museum today. Are you excited?" she said, flashing him one of her cute smiles.

"Oh, yeah. I've never been to an art museum before."

"It's going to be great. Hey, you really need to bring in one of those sculptures into school to show me."

Ashley frowned. "Well, I would but, y'know, Craig and everything."

"Oh yeah," Leanne replied with a sad look on her face, "He should be nicer to people. By the way, how's your arm?"

Ashley rolled his arm around, still a little sore from when Craig Asher, one of the school bullies, trapped his arm in the door of a bathroom stall a few days ago.

"Eh, it's not too bad. I'll be back up to full sculpting power in a couple of days."

"That's great!" Leanne said, smiling once again, "We'd better get to class."

"Yeah," he said, as he followed her inside.

* * *

The museum trip has been an interesting experience for Ashley, and he really enjoyed it, apart from Craig tripping him up going upstairs. He sat on his own on the school bus home. He didn't really have any friends as such, except for Leanne, and he had a major crush on her which made talking to her hard at times. Nobody really spoke to the lanky, weird brainy kid. As he stared out of the window, he didn't initially notice that Leanne had come to sit next to him.

"Hey Ashley! Have fun?"

Ashley quickly spun round to face her. "Oh yeah. Yeah, it was great," he said, now looking ahead.

"I have a surprise for you," Leanne said as she took something out of her bag. Out of the corner of his eye, Ashley saw what looked like some mistletoe.

"It's nearly Christmas, so I got this," she said, holding it over his head.

Ashley looked at her briefly, then blushed slightly and turned to the side.

"Don't be shy, Ashley," she said smiling.

Come on, she wants you to kiss her, so just do it, he thought to himself, weighing it up in his mind. Before he could turn around to face her again, she kissed him on the cheek. He turned to face her and she smiled at him and got up.

"See you later, Ashley!" she said as she returned to her original seat. He sighed, then noticed that she put the mistletoe away and didn't use it on anyone else. He slumped down in his seat slightly and looked out of the window.

Way to blow it, he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part 2**_

It was a sunny, yet cold Saturday morning, and Ashley had decided to go for a run. He hated playing sports, but running was a good way to get out once in a while, and allow himself some peace to think. He was listening to Saliva through his headphones as he pounded the downtown streets. Swedesville was a moderately sized town, with a residential nucleus surrounded mostly by fields and farmland. He usually just ran through the downtown streets, but occasionally took a detour around some of the closer fields.

Most of the time he was running, he kept thinking of recent events with Leanne. While he wasn't the loud, brash type, he certainly didn't lack confidence. His inability to tell her how he felt frustrated him. How hard can it be? You can talk to her just fine, but why can't you take that big step? Then the doubts crept in. She's pretty, she's smart and she's popular. She could have any guy in school she wants. Why would she be interested in you? She'd laugh in your face.

As he stopped for a moment, he looked at the windows of a shop that had closed down a few months ago, and noticed some posters taped to it. He stepped over to take a closer look. Alternapalooza, that local music festival. Hey, maybe I can ask her to go to that. If she wants to go. He shrugged and carried on running.

* * *

Ashley arrived home to see his mother in the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, honey. Have a nice run?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Eh, it was there."

"Well don't get too enthusiastic, will you?"

Ashley walked over to the counter and picked up a piece of toast from the stack that was sat there. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down to eat.

"You know, if you like running, you should try out for track team at school. I'm sure you'll be great at that," she suggested.

Ashley raised an eyebrow at her. "Mom, I run because I like doing it. I've got no interest in doing it competitively. It'll suck the fun out of it if I have to do it."

"It's just something to consider, Ashley. I'm not going to force you."

Ashley emptied his water bottle and threw it in the rubbish. "Honestly Mom, I like running, but I don't want to make a job out of it," he said as he headed to his room.

* * *

After finishing his homework for the weekend, Ashley was laid flat on his bed, head resting on his hands as he once again found himself thinking about Leanne, and whether he should ask her to go to Alternapalooza with him. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his open door. He looked up to see his father, Adam, stood in the doorway.

"You OK there, kid? You look like you've got something on your mind," he said.

"Oh nothing much, just school stuff," Ashley replied.

Adam walked into the room and sat in the chair by Ashley's desk. Ashley rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sure you don't want to tell your old man about it?" Adam asked with a smile.

Ashley sighed. "Well, there's this girl I really like at school. I have no trouble talking to her generally, but I can't seem to tell her how I really feel about her."

Adam sat back and put his fingers together, thinking. "Reminds me of when I was in high school."

"Didn't you meet Mom at high school?"

"Oh yes. I remember the first time I talked to her. Such a pretty little thing. Smart, and friendly too. Always had time for other kids, provided you weren't an idiot."

Ashley tilted his head slightly. "I suppose this is where you tell me that you asked her out and it all worked out?"

Adam chuckled. "Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I finally plucked up the courage to ask her out, but she turned me down. Oh, I was crushed at first, but we became good friends. Anyway, about a year later, I asked her out again and she said yes. And we never looked back."

Ashley looked down for a moment, and then looked back at his father. "I was thinking of asking her to Alternapalooza."

"Well, I don't know if I'd choose a music festival as a first date. Why not start smaller. Just ask her to go somewhere with you after school."

Ashley gazed at the sculptures that took up a shelf on the wall. "She said she wanted to see my sculptures."

"Perfect! Ask her if she wants to come here. You know, it's like my Dad said to me, 'Feint heart never won fair maiden'."

Adam got up and walked towards the door.

"Thanks, Dad," Ashley said as he left.

He stopped at the door and smirked. "Oh, and don't worry, me and your mother won't embarrass you too much."

Ashley smiled as he looked at the sculptures on the shelf again.

What's the worst that could happen?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Part 3**_

It was early in the morning and Ashley was busy chipping away at his latest sculpture idea. He hadn't gotten much sleep that night, with his muse going into overdrive. As he put the finishing touches to the face of the figure, he heard his mother shouting from downstairs.

"Ashley! Your father had to go in early again. I'm taking you to school. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, just give me a second, Mom," Ashley said.

He took a look at the statue before taking a nearby cloth and throwing it over the top. He smiled, and then headed downstairs. 

* * *

Later that day, Ashley was at his locker, fetching some books. Leanne was stood near the locker, the two of them chatting about one of their favourite TV shows from the previous night.

"But seriously, the Royal Family? You'd have to have something wrong with you," Ashley said.

Leanne chuckled. "Yeah, there's something not right about that guy."

Ashley was quiet for a moment while checking his books, then bit the bullet. "Hey, how would you like to come to my house after school and see my sculptures?"

Leanne's eyes lit up. "Wow! That would be really cool. I'll meet you out front, OK?"

"Sounds good to me," Ashley said as he closed his locker.

At that moment, Craig Asher came up to the lockers and leaned on them in front of Leanne. He was Swedesville High's school quarterback. He was a big guy with short black hair, built like a brick wall and only slightly more intelligent. He was pretty much the big guy on campus, or at least that was how he liked to carry himself. Ashley stood there, leaning against the other locker and listening in.

"Hey Leanne," he said as he looked at her with a leering smile.

"Oh, hello Craig," she said, smiling slightly and trying to feign enthusiasm.

"Y'know, I've been with a few girls around here, and I just came to let you know that it's you turn."

Leanne gave him a questioning look. "My 'turn'?"

"Yeah. I mean, sure, you're a brain, but I don't hold that against you. You're not a cheerleader, but you're pretty hot, and I'm the star of the team," Craig continued, turning on what constituted charm for him.

"Craig, you know that's really sweet and all, but I'm not really interested in being a box on somebody's list," Leanne explained, "I need somebody with a little more substance."

"You know you can't resist, Lee. You and me, it's gonna happen," Craig said with a smirk.

"Keep checking the weather reports, Craig. If the temperatures in Hell get a little low, then it'll be time."

With that, Leanne walked away. Ashley let a little chuckle out, which Craig heard. He spun around and glared at Ashley.

"What's so funny, Winters?" Craig said.

"Didn't you notice? She shot you down in flames, dude!" Ashley said, a slight smile on his face.

"Whatever, geek. You're just jealous because I can have any girl I choose. You could never score a girl like her, she's way out of your league."

"Neither can you, apparently. I guess not all girls go for the dumb, sporty types."

At this point, Craig had gotten right in Ashley's face. Ashley was a little nervous, but didn't flinch.

"Are you callin' me stupid, Winters? Cause you ain't so smart if you don't know when to shut yer yap."

"I'm saying you're not going to be Valedictorian, but hey, I'm sure come graduation, some college will give a meathead like you a scholarship to go to them."

Craig's face was red with rage. "Oh, you are so DEAD, Winters!"

Craig reared his fist back and threw a punch in Ashley's direction, but he ducked out of the way and his fist hit the locker. Ashley took the opportunity to jog out of the way and off to class.

"You can't run forever, Winters! You'll get what's comin' to you!" Craig shouted after him. 

* * *

After school, Leanne and Ashley were in his bedroom. The TV was on with an episode of Sick, Sad World showing, where a sceptical reporter was interviewing a nerdy looking red headed teen at a UFO convention.

"Artie, hello. Tell me, what brought you here, Artie?" the reporter asked.

"It was a cone-shaped craft about 15 feet long, with an air speed of, oh, I'd estimate mach 12. They kidnapped and stripped me, examined me briefly, returned my clothes, and dropped me here," Artie responded.

Ashley was sat on the bed, while Leanne was examining the statuettes on the shelf.

"Wow, these are really good. And the detail is so fine. How hard is it to get them like this?" she asked.

"Well, it takes a lot of practice to get the technique right. When I started, I used to chip too hard and end up overdoing it and taking lumps out of them," he explained, "I think I've got it down quite well these days."

As Leanne put down the statue she was holding, she noticed some object that was being covered by a cloth.

"Anything interesting under there?" she asked.

Ashley looked up and saw where she was motioning to. "Oh, that's my current project. It's a bit bigger than the others."

"It looks it," she said, "Can I get a look at it?"

"Um... I'd rather you didn't. It's kind of a work-in-progress, you know? I'd rather not let anyone see it until it's finished."

"Oooh, a surprise! I can't wait to see what it looks like."

Ashley fiddled with a pen that he'd picked up from beside his bed. Leanne continued to look at the shelf.

"Hey, since my parents are heading out for dinner, you want to go out to get some food ourselves?"

"I'd love to, Ashley, but I'm afraid I've got a date tonight," she replied.

I've got a date tonight. The words echoed in Ashley's head and his heart sank like a stone. Of course she's got a date tonight. Look at her, he thought.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" he asked, being very careful not to say 'lucky bastard'.

"Joe Lopez, the football captain," Leanne replied, "He's different from the rest of the team. He's quite smart and he's nice as well. Not like Craig."

Ashley had a wry smile at that. "Yeah, Joe seems like a good guy."

Leanne looked at her watch. "Oh, speaking of which, I'd better go," she said.

"Sure," Ashley replied. The two of them left the room and headed for the front door. Ashley opened it as Leanne smiled at him.

"Thanks for showing me your sculptures, Ashley, they were great. We should hang out more."

"Yeah," Ashley said with a slight smile, "Yeah, that'd be cool."

Leanne gave Ashley a hug before walking out of the door. "Bye Ashley," said as she waved.

"Bye!" Ashley said as he waved back. He closed the door and walked back up the stairs. He went over to the sculpture he'd been working on and took the cloth away. The head of the figure was pretty much finished, as were the shoulders. The figure resembled Leanne somewhat, but with a mask on it to look like a superheroine. He stood and stared at it.

Damn.


	4. Chapter 4

Ashley was sorting out his locker, while thinking about the situation with Leanne dating Joe Lopez. He cursed himself for not having had the bottle to ask her out himself, and now that ship had probably sailed. Just as he was closing his locker, Leanne walked up to him with a smile on her face.

"Hi Ashley! How are you?" she asked.

"Not bad," Ashley replied, slightly unenthusiastically, "How was your date?"

Leanne frowned slightly. "No need to sound so excited, Ashley."

"Sorry, things aren't great right now. I made a mess of one of my sculptures and the firm my Dad works for is in serious trouble," Ashley replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that. I didn't know," she replied.

"Don't worry, you couldn't have," Ashley said with a weak smile, "But seriously, how did your date go?"

"It went OK. It was just a typical date, really. Movie then pizza," she said, "How's that thing you were working on going?"

"Eh, I haven't felt inspired to carry on with it yet," Ashley said, "I'm hoping something will come to me soon."

"It will. You're really talented, Ashley. Hey, if you're not busy later, do you wanna hang out and go get something to eat?"

"Um... yeah, sure," Ashley replied with a smile, which dropped a little when he saw Joe Lopez approaching.

"Hey Leanne, Ashley," Joe said.

"Hi," they both replied.

"I had a good time last night," Joe said, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out again this weekend."

"Yeah, sure, that'd be nice Joe," Leanne said with a smile.

At that moment, Craig walked up, shoulder barging Ashley into the lockers as he did so.

"Hey, Leanne, how are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Craig," she replied, sighing quietly.

"Oh, I can see you're fine," Craig said with a grin and a wink, "Which is why I'm gonna give you another chance to get with me."

"Craig, we've had this conversation before. I'm not interested in you," Leanne said.

"C'mon, baby," Craig said, smirking at Leanne, "You know you can't resist."

"Hey, Craig, she said she's not interested in you. Let it go, man!" Joe said.

"This isn't any of your business, Lopez," Craig replied, "This is between me and her."

"She's dating me, OK? Now leave her alone," Joe said, scowling at Craig as Leanne smiled behind him.

Craig stared at Joe as Ashley looked on, actually smiling at this development as he dusted himself off.

"Fine, I'll let it go. But only because you're my team mate, Lopez," Craig said as he stormed off.

Joe shook his head as he watched Craig leave and then looked at Ashley. "You OK, man?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get to class, huh?"

"Good idea," Leanne said as the three of them headed off. 

* * *

Ashley was in his bedroom after school. He'd spent an hour trying to work on his statue, but he realised his heart wasn't in it. He was lying on his bed, thinking about things.

You had your shot at her, Winters. You could have kissed her under the mistletoe, but you didn't have the guts to do it. You like her, and she seems to like you. Of course, now she's dating someone else.

He rolled over onto his front and stared at the door, contemplating some more.

Still, it could be worse. Joe's a decent guy. At least she's not dating a jerk like Craig. Still, it was funny to watch her shoot him down twice.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mother, Rachel, shouting from downstairs.

"Ashley! Could you come into the kitchen for a moment?"

Ashley sighed and got off the bed, quickly going down the stairs and into the kitchen where his parents were sat at the table, his father, Adam, looking unhappy as his mother had her arm around him.

"What's up Mom, Dad?"

"I'm afraid it's some bad news, Ashley. Your father lost his job at the firm today," Rachel said.

Adam sighed. "I knew this would happen eventually. It's only a matter of time before the whole firm goes bust."

"Sorry to hear that, Dad," Ashley replied.

"It's OK, honey, you'll get another job soon. I know you will!" Rachel said, giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ashley went to the fridge and got some water, pouring it into a glass and gulping it down before placing the glass in the sink.

"Um, I was planning to meet Leanne from school for something to eat. Do you want me to stay here instead?" Ashley asked.

"No, it's OK, you go son, and have a nice time," Adam said, smiling at his son.

"OK. See you later!" Ashley said as he went into the hall, grabbed his jacket and went out of the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam was in the local store doing some grocery shopping. In the three months or so since he'd lost his job, he'd been trying to find another position, but new jobs were hard to come by in Swedesville these days. It was hardly a thriving area of Maryland right now, as the complete collapse of the firm he used to work for had proven. Once he'd gotten everything he wanted, he approached the checkout and the man behind the counter priced all his goods up.

"Thank you sir. Will that be all today?" he asked.

Adam was about to respond, when a sign near the checkout caught his eye.

Superball Lottery Tonight! Jackpot $100 Million! If You're Not In, You Can't Win!

"Ah, what the heck, I'll have two Superball tickets as well, please," Adam replied.

"Certainly, sir," the assistant replied, printing up his tickets and handing them to him, "That will be $58 exactly, please."

Adam took the tickets and paid the man.

"Good luck, and have a nice day!"

"Thanks," Adam replied, as he left the store.

* * *

Ashley walked over and sat with Leanne in the local Cluster Burger, as she was taking a sip from her soda.

"I'm honoured that you've chosen to spend your afternoon with me," Ashley said with a slight smirk, "Did Joe get lost in Sports Shorts or something?"

Leanne smiled and shook her head. "Actually, he and his family went to visit family for the weekend."

"So you decided to spend time with me because you had nothing better to do," Ashley replied, "I feel so used."

Leanne chuckled. "Well, I don't think we hang out enough anyway."

Ashley was about to say something, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Craig Asher approaching the table.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Craig said, with a smug grin on his face, "When the cat's away, the mice will play, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Ashley said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm actually disappointed in you Leanne," Craig said, "Seeing this geek behind your boyfriend's back? Very uncool."

"This isn't a date, Craig," Leanne said calmly.

"I mean, if you're getting bored with Joe, I can understand. But why would you be with a skinny nerd like him, when you could be with a sports star like me?"

Ashley noticed something he hadn't seen before in Leanne's face. She stood up and scowled at Craig.

"Craig, for the last damn time, I am not interested in you and I never will be," Leanne said, sternly but quietly, "You're nothing but a meathead jerk who thinks you're God's gift to women. Here's a reality check, not every woman swoons for some jackass quarterback who thinks he's all that. Joe is a sweet, caring guy who just happens to be on the team. Now, let me reiterate so your brain can register. I am not interested in dating you. Got it?"

Craig pondered for a moment, then just smirked and walked away. Leanne took a breath and sat down as Ashley looked on in astonishment.

"Wow. I've never seen you like that before. You OK?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm just sick of him not taking 'No' for an answer, you know?" Leanne said.

"Yeah, I understand," Ashley replied, sipping his drink.

* * *

Rachel was in the kitchen, having a clear through the cupboards. As she was checking through some empty shopping bags, she noticed a piece of paper in one of them and took it out. She looked at it and frowned.

"Adam! Can you come in here, please?"

Her husband duly walked into the kitchen and noticed the slip in Rachel's hand.

"Yes, dear?"

"We are supposed to be cutting down on non-essential purchases. Why in the hell did you buy lottery tickets?"

"I bought those weeks ago. I only spent a couple of dollars. Plus I thought it was worth a shot with that big jackpot," Adam explained, "But I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"You'd better not," Rachel said as she slapped the ticket on the table. Adam picked it up and left the room as Ashley walked in.

"Trouble?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, just your father buying lottery tickets when we're trying to save money," Rachel responded.

Ashley poured some water out of the jug in the fridge. "Are things really that tight?"

"Not really, but until your father has a job..."

"ASHLEY! RACHEL! COME QUICK!"

Ashley and Rachel looked at each other and made their way to the study upstairs, where Adam was sat at the computer, lottery ticket in hand.

"What's the problem, honey?" Rachel asked, approaching him as Ashley stood in the door.

"Look at this," Adam replied, handing her the ticket and pointing to the screen.

Rachel frowned and looked at the ticket, and noticed that Adam had the results for the Superball draw that he bought the ticket before. She quickly checked between the screen and the ticket a couple of times before a realisation hit her.

"Oh my God! We... we won?"

Ashley walked over to the desk. "What?"

"Here, see for yourself," Rachel said, handing Ashley the ticket as he checked it.

"One hundred million dollars..." Adam said.

"Is this real?" Ashley said.

"It is," Adam said, turning to his family and smiling as he stood up and hugged Rachel and Ashley, "This changes everything."


	6. Chapter 6

Ashley had a smile on his face a mile wide when he went to school the next day. Things were going to change for the better for his family, and he was looking forward to seeing what happened. As he made his way to the doors, he was approached by Joe Lopez.

"Yo, Ashley! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ashley looked at Joe for a minute, wondering what Joe wanted him for. "Um, sure, I guess."

The two of them walked over to the side a bit and sat down on a nearby bench.

"OK, I've gotta ask you. What were you doing with Leanne while I was away?" Joe asked.

Ashley looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"What were you doing?" Joe asked again.

"We hung out at Cluster Burger and had a chat, that's all. Why do you ask?"

"Is that all that happened?"

Ashley looked surprised at the turn this conversation seemed to be taking. "Of course that's all that happened. What are you trying to say, Joe?"

Joe smiled at him. "I figured as much. Craig was spouting off about seeing the two of you making out at Cluster Burger."

"What?" Ashley spluttered, "We never did anything like that."

"It's OK, man, I know," Joe said, trying to calm Ashley down, "Craig's just talking crap as usual."

"He was coming on to Leanne, and she told him where to go," Ashley explained, "He won't take no for an answer."

Joe chuckled. "Yeah, he thinks he's hot stuff that no woman can resist. I think he sees her as a challenge or something."

"Yeah."

Joe stood up. "Cool. Well, see you later, man," he said as he jogged away.

* * *

After school was done, Ashley walked into the front door of the house. As per usual, he made his way to the kitchen for a drink to see his parents both sat at the table with some papers.

"Hey Mom, Dad," he said, as he went to the fridge to grab a soda.

"Ashley, we've got something to tell you," his mother, Rachel, said.

"OK," Ashley replied, sitting down at the table opposite them.

"We've been looking into it, and we've decided we're going to move away from Swedesville," Adam said.

"Oh. Where are we moving to?" Ashley asked.

"We're not moving too far. We're just going through the paperwork, but we're moving to Lawndale," Rachel explained.

"Lawndale, huh?" Ashley said, before taking a sip of his soda, "Lawndale High, here I come."

"Actually, you won't be going to Lawndale High," Adam said.

Ashley was confused. "So where am I going?"

"You're an intelligent boy, Ashley, and seeing as we can afford it now, we're sending you somewhere that will make better use of that," Rachel said, "Fielding Preparatory Academy."

"Fielding? Isn't that kind of an elitist school? I thought you needed more than money to get in there," Ashley replied.

"This is true. Technically, you're a legacy," Adam explained.

"Legacy? Didn't you graduate from Swedesville High?"

"Yes, but your grandfather, and his father and grandfather were all Fielding graduates. I would've been sent to Fielding as well, but, well, you know about your grandfather's alcohol problems when he was younger?"

"Yes," Ashley replied.

"Well, he was a gambling addict as well. He was a successful businessman, but he wasted all his money on booze and cards. He couldn't afford to send me there in the end. I have an opportunity to give you the education I could never have. It's a great school, and I'd be doing a clever boy like you a disservice by not giving you that opportunity."

Ashley pondered these details for a moment, and then raised his soda can in the air with a smile. "Well, Fielding it is, then."

* * *

Ashley and Leanne were walking through the park. School was finished for another year, and Ashley's parents were busy preparing for the move to Lawndale the following weekend.

"So, you're really leaving?" Leanne asked.

"Yeah, my Dad got an opportunity to start his own business in Lawndale, so we're going out there," Ashley replied.

They walked in silence for a moment before Leanne spoke up again. "I'm going to miss you, you know."

"Yeah. I'm going to miss you too, Leanne. You've really helped me get through some hard times in school," Ashley said.

Leanne then gave Ashley a piece of paper, which he opened and looked at.

"My address and phone number," she explained, "I want you to send me pictures of any new statues you make. I'd love to see them."

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that," Ashley said with a smile.

They continued walking, chatting away until they got to the exit.

"Well, I'd better be going," Ashley said, "My parents are going to want me to make sure I've got all my things together."

They stood there for a moment before Leanne reached out and hugged Ashley, as he carefully returned the hug.

"You'd better stay in touch," she said, "And if anyone in Lawndale treats you bad, I'll kick their butts."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ashley said.

They broke off the hug and Leanne surprised Ashley with a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'll see you around, Ash!" she said with a slightly sad smile as she turned and walked away.

"Yeah, see you around," Ashley replied with slight sadness as he started his walk home.


	7. Chapter 7

Ashley looked at himself in the mirror on the back of the closet door in his new bedroom. He was dressed in the traditional Fielding uniform of dark blue blazer, white shirt, red tie and beige pants. He adjusted his tie and frowned before tying his hair back. He hated the look of himself in a uniform, but he was just going to have to get used to it for the next couple of years. He grabbed his book bag and went downstairs to where Rachel was waiting to take him to school. They both got into the car and drove off.

"I never knew we came from a wealthy family," Ashley said, "Dad never mentioned it before."

"Well, what with your grandfather's drinking and gambling addictions, I don't think your father really wanted to discuss it," Rachel replied, "He put his family in severe trouble. I think he was a little upset at the time that his sister went to Grove Hills but they couldn't afford to send him to a top school."

There was silence for a couple of moments. Rachel turned the radio on to some mainstream pop station. Once the current song finished, Ashley piped up again.

"He's not going to be pushing me here, is he? You know, to make up for the fact that he never got to go?"

"Of course not, Ashley," Rachel said, "We both want you to have the best education possible, and we now have the means to give you that. Fielding is one of the best schools in the country."

"So, I can pretty much expect it to be full of the snobby kids who have never wanted for anything in their lives?"

Rachel sighed. "There will be some children there who think they are... more important than others, certainly. But it's a small price to pay for an education at a place like Fielding. And if you succeed there, you'll have a great chance of going to somewhere like Bromwell or Crestmore when it comes to college application time."

They arrived at the front gates of the main building and Ashley got out of the car. He took the campus map out of his pocket and checked it to find where the reception was. He walked through gates and into the main campus, studying the map as he went. He didn't notice a petite girl with short red hair and glasses walk across his path and inadvertently bumped into her, causing her to stumble. He quickly put his map away when he noticed.

"Oh, sorry, are you alright?" he asked, helping the girl steady herself.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she said, pulling away from him, "Watch where you're going in future, idiot."

With that, she quickly walked away as he watched, dumbfounded.

* * *

Ashley was sat in a small office with two other students, one male and one female. The male student was of average height with long black hair, and the female student had long blonde hair and looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Into the office walked a 50-something looking gentleman in a grey suit and short, similarly grey hair. He was accompanied by another male student with medium length dark hair.

"Greetings, new students. My name is Mr Knight, and I am the head of student admissions. We aim to provide the highest possible educational standards for our students, and you will find this out in due time. However, the first thing we do for new students is give you a quick tour with a current student to get a feel for the place," the man said, now indicating the student who accompanied him, "This is Thomas Sloane, and he will be your guide for the tour. He is very knowledgeable about Fielding and its history, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Thomas?"

Thomas nodded and opened the door to the office. "OK, let's get this tour started," he said, as he exited the office, the three new students following behind.

Ashley had to admit, Fielding was an interesting place to look at. It was an old school that was founded in the late 1700s, and looked very well maintained. Thomas showed them around the various buildings, including the science building, chapel and dormitories where the boarding students stayed. Ashley was looking around and drifting in and out of paying attention as Thomas went through the history of various buildings.

"...and these large, stone canopies are replicas of the ones that were built when the original Fielding Hall was finished in 1779."

"And the same ones that were used to hang the filthy, unwashed peasants who inadvertently stumbled into the campus," Ashley muttered, not realising he'd actually said it out loud. The other two students gave him a dirty look, while Thomas smirked.

"Of course, the peasant hangings are supposedly an old Fielding legend and not true, but it is admitted that they were sometimes beaten with reeds," Thomas replied. Now it was Ashley's turn to smirk.

* * *

With his morning classes done, Ashley made his way to his locker. When he got there, he noticed a slim girl with long black hair stood leaning against it, talking to another girl. He walked up to her.

"Excuse me," he said. The girl looked at him with disdain as she stepped away.

"Thank you," he said as he opened his locker. The girl was still looking at him. "Is there a problem?"

"I recognize you. You're that Winters boy whose parents won the lottery, aren't you?" the girl said.

"So the legends say," Ashley replied as he put his books away and closed his locker.

"They really will let any old riff-raff into this school now, won't they?" she said before walking away with her friend, chuckling.

Ashley stood and watched with a curious expression on his face.

"I wouldn't worry about her too much, she's just got an attitude problem."

Ashley turned to see Thomas stood there with a smile.

"Well, I figured coming in here there'd be a few people who think highly of themselves," Ashley said.

"That's Elaine Swinton. She's attractive, but also full of herself. Her Dad runs a big media conglomerate and she thinks she's a cut above," Thomas explained, "The thing is, there are worse people than her in this school."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Ashley said, "Anyway, it's time for lunch I think, young Thomas."

"Please, just Tom. Even my Mom calls me Tom these days."

"Tom it is, then," Ashley said as the two of them went off to the lunch room.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next couple of months, Ashley and Tom became good friends. Ashley had noted that quite a few of the other Fielding students tended to see him as being a bit beneath them, due to the manner in which his family had become wealthy, but he didn't care much about that. The two of them were sat together at lunch, Tom telling Ashley about his most recent date.

"So, all evening, she was saying 'Oh Tom, that's so interesting', 'Oh Tom, you're so funny'," Tom said with a sigh.

Ashley chuckled. "I think she was enamoured with you, young Thomas."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Only because of my name. That's all the girls in Fielding seem to care about. It's all about status."

"Guess lottery boy here won't have a problem in that department," Ashley said with a smirk as he ate a bite of his chicken.

"Speaking of dates, I'm thinking of asking Cassidy out," Tom said.

"Cassidy?" Ashley asked, "Refresh my memory, which one is she?"

"Quite petite, short red hair, glasses," Tom explained.

"Oh, I've seen her around," Ashley replied, "She's kind of cute. I say go for it."

"You think so?" Tom asked.

Ashley shrugged. "Why not? Doesn't sound like it could be any worse than your last date."

* * *

Ashley was stood in his room, looking at his current sculpture. It was one he'd started while he was in Swedesville and he was now trying to get it finished. As he stepped away, his cell phone rang, and he answered.

"Hello, Ashley Winters," he said.

"Ashley? Tom," came the reply.

"Ah, Mr Sloane, I've been expecting your call," Ashley said with a slight smirk on his face, "So tell me, how did the date with the lovely Ms Hemming go?"

"Pretty much the same as most dates do. Just another Fielding girl trying too hard to act like we have everything in common."

Ashley could detect the frustration in his friend's voice and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, you're quite a catch, young Thomas. The girls just throw themselves at your gorgeous countenance."

"I wish they were interested in me for me. It's just hard to tell who's genuine and who just has parents desperate for their precious little girl to marry into the Sloane family business."

"Well, I suppose it's a downside of being the only son of a partner in one of the richest companies in the state. But if you really want to see who's genuine and who's just a gold digger, it's easy. Just put a couple of hundred pounds on and see who sticks around," Ashley suggested.

Tom chuckled. "True. But there's something scary about this. I could abuse the fact that girls want to be with me, even if just for my family's money. It would be so easy."

"I've known you for a while now, Tom. I know that's not your style."

"Yeah. I don't know. It's just so frustrating not being able to tell who's for real, you know?"

"For you and everyone else with a few dollars in the bank."

"Much more of this, and I'll be getting a reputation for being a one date wonder."

Ashley stifled a laugh at the thought that came to his head. "One Date Sloane. Kind of has a ring to it, you know."

"Kind of does," Tom admitted, "But I doubt even that would stop the really desperate ones."

"You're a smart man, Sloane. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I hope so. Well, I'm beat, so I'm going to hit the hay. See you in school tomorrow, Winters."

"I look forward to it, Mr Sloane. Goodnight."

Ashley switched his phone off and turned his attention back to his sculpture. Satisfied with his progress, he put a sheet cover over it and got ready for bed.

* * *

Ashley was searching through his locker for a particular book. Satisfied with what he found, he closed the locker and started making his way to his next class. Along the way, he noticed Elaine Swinton at her own locker. A smirk formed on Ashley's face as he walked over to her, and he put a straight face on as he tried to get her attention.

"Excuse me. Elaine, is it?"

Elaine sighed and turned to look at Ashley, not even attempting to hide her contempt. "What do you want? Make it quick."

"Oh nothing much," Ashley said, "I was just wondering if you were doing anything on Saturday night?"

Elaine closed her locker and frowned at Ashley. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"

"I was wondering if you'd go out with me," Ashley said with a smile.

Elaine stared at Ashley for a moment, looking at him like he was carrying some sort of horrific disease. She then turned on her heel and walked away from him.

"I'll take that as a maybe, then?" Ashley said with a smirk as he watched her leave. He chuckled to himself and went off to his class.

* * *

Ashley spent the evening putting the finishing touches to his sculpture. Tom had suggested they pay a visit to 'The Zon', a grunge music club down in one of the somewhat grimier areas of Lawndale. "Just for a change of scenery," Tom had said. He finished painting the black hair on the figure and stepped back to look at it. The sculpture was of his old friend and crush from Swedesville, Leanne, and she was dressed in a blue and yellow super heroine outfit, complete with a mask. He smiled and grabbed a camera from his desk, taking a photo of the statue.

I hope she likes it, he thought to himself with a smile.

He looked at his watch and, seeing the time, put the camera back on his desk. He checked his hair in the mirror and left the house to wait for Tom to pick him up.

THE END


End file.
